Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-12-02
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the HERALD.
WASHINGTON. Nov. %. 1887.

OOnulitlcb ncIt III lew udNS.
active movements are being made
in Philadelphia, Chicago. st. Louis
and other cities to capture the
National Convention, each of the
aspirants asserting peculiar claims
for the distinction that will he laid
before the Committee by strong
local delegations. The advance
guard of the Chicago and Philadel.
phia delegations are already here,
and quite az much interest Is taken
in the matter as at any similar
period in the history of the party.
One thing is very observable: that
these men refrain from expressing
any personal preference as to can.
didates, and are not marking the
boom Of any one. The disposition
is everywhere apparent amorg Re
publicans, that the nominee Of the
convention will be perfectly salts
factory, and that our duty is 20 see
that he is elected. There are no
quarrsls now to adjust. United
action Is the watch word from one
end of the line to the other, and
with this spirit animating our
ranks, we can enter the canvass,
whoever may be our standard bear.
err, with the utmost Insurance of
success.
In talking recently with Senator
Spooner, of Wisconsin, who is not
only one of the ablest men in Con.
gress, but one of the finest orators
in the country, he SAID: "This ses-
sion will be a fighting one. The
struggle between the two great
political parties will be intense.
The questions that will be at the
forefront are those of the tariff,
the surplus, and finance, which,
with the question of freedom of the
ballot and honesty of elections,
will make enough work to occupy
all our attention" The Senator
suggested a suspicion that the gen.
eral acquieScence OF the democratic
leaders in Mr.. Cleveland's renomi.
nation may have been brought
about by the understanding that
in due time he will refuse to run a
second time. There may b0 good
deal in this suggestion, and on no
other hypothesis can you account
for the sudden transformation OF
several very prominent democrats
who were planning severe war on
Mr.. Cleveland's administration.
AS a Republican, hope there is
nothing in the suggestion, and that
he viii be the regular democratic
nominee.
One wonld hardly expect it, yet
there are decided differences OF
personal style among the different
sets of Government clerks. The
Treasury clerks are the least spruce
in appearance and most splritless
in manner of all Government en-
ployes. The most independent,
nOnchalant, and cosmopolitan are
those OF the Interior Department,
who look and act as though they
we're happy aud prosperous. The
Post Office Department people are
a serious folk, and have crushed
aspect. The building IS as still as
a cemetery. A visitor walks into
the Interior Department as If he
owned il, but when he enters the
Post Office Department, he begins
to falter and stammer at the very
entrance. The Army and Navy
clerks are very dressy, rather ex'
elusive, but always polite. The
Department Of Justice has no spe
clal individuality, but the State
Department can furnish perfect
specimens of the aristocratic genus
of clerk. They have little utter.
course with clerks Of other Depart
ments, and are emphatically
"dudes" of the most exquisite
brand, aping the foreign represen
tatives and attaches with whom
they are brought IN contact. The
public has little to do with thai
Department, and are perfectly will
ing that the fine haired gentlemen
shall enjoy their seclusion.
The General Land Office hal
issued 2,4OO agricultural patents
during the past month, and zoo
additional cases are being prepared
of which 500 are for final home
steads in the Fargo (Dakota) dis
trlcr. Some 1900 other cases are
under consideration, and the whole
number patented in November will
reach nearly 5000.
There is a good deal Of talk here
about certain handsome young
lady Of wealth and social position
allying herself IN marriage to
member of the Chinese Legation
1t is strange what peculiar whim'
some of our American girls are
possessed OF.
Secretary of War Endicott il
taking official life remarkably easy
He is here but a small portion o
the time, and when here meyer gets
excited over Department business
Nearly everything is routine work
and lett to Bureau chiefs who art
regular Army officers.
"L0rd" Chamberlain, of the
Fishery Commission and his suit